Fuse for projectiles.



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PATENTED NOV. 22, 19041 J. B. SEMPLE.

FUSE FOR PROJBCTILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1903.

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PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

J. B. SEMPLE.

FUSE FOR PROJEGTILES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1903.

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' TTED STATES Patented November 22, 1904.

PATENT Grricn.

JOHN V BONNER SEMPLE, OF SEWICKLEY, PEN N SYLVA NlA.

FUSE FOR PROJECTILES- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,861, dated November 22, 1904. Application filed May 12, 1903. Serial No. 156,750- (No model.)

To an whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN BONNER SEMPLE,

normally held in such relative positions as to require the excessive shock incident to the explosion of firing charge in the gun to bring said parts into alinement or operative relation with each other.

It is also an object of the invention to lock the firing-pin in operative position as soon as it has been forced thereto by the preliminary movement of the projectile.

The invention is hereinafter more fully de scribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this. specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the projectile having my improved fuse applied thereto. Fig. 2 isa sectional elevation of the fuse alone, showing firing-pin in unarmed position. Fig.

'3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the fuse with the pin in armed position. Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating-a modification of'the improvement. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating further modifications of the improvement; and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing the arrangement of the fuse at the point of the projectile.

-In the practiceof my invention the projectile is provided, as is customary, with a chamber 1 for the explosive charge. The inner end'of this chamber is closed by-a plug2, having a threaded opening therein for the reception of the fuse. This fuse mechanism consists of a stock 3, externally threaded and provided with a socket or recess open at the inner end. Within this socket or recess'is arranged a hammer-block- 4, which is formed with a longitudinal opening or passage for the reception of the supporting-post5 and the firing-pin 6. The firing-pin is pivotally mounted upon a wire or shaft 7, extending transversely of the opening through the hammer-block and so located that when the firingpin is arranged with its axis in line with the axis of the opening through the hammer-block the pin will project beyond the hammer-block a sufficient distance to impinge or strike thepercussion or friction detonator 8, carried by the block 9, screwing into the inner end of the socket in the stock 3.

In order that the firing pin 6 may be normally in a position with its point below the end of the hammer-block, and therefore in unarmed position, it is preferred to slot or cut away one or both sides of the walls of the passage through the hammerblock,forming a recess for the reception of the firing-pin, the latter assuming, as shown in Fig. 2, an inclined position. The hammer-block is nor: mally held at the outer end of the socketor chamber in the stock 3 with its outer end bear-' ing against the block 9, and thereby locking the firing-pin in its inclined or unarmed position by any suitable means,'such as the supporting-post 5, arranged in apassage through the hammer-block and normally locked or secured to the hammer-block in such a manner that a considerable jar or shock is required to cause relative movement of these parts. In other words, an impediment of any suitable form or construction, either frangible or frictional in character, to the relative movements of the parts is provided, a convenient form of such lock or impediment consisting of a small wire 10 passing transversely through the hammer-block and post. sages 11 and 12 for this locking-wire are so arranged in the block and post that when brought into alinement with each other the inner end of the post will rest against the bottom of the socket, while the outer end of the hammer-block will bear against the block 9, so thatas long as the connection between the post and hammer-block is intact there will not be any inovement of the block, the supporting-post, and firing-pin. When the projectile is suddenly forced forward by the explosion of the propelling charge in the gun, the ham- -mer-block will remain practically stationary,

by reason of its inertia, and the post 5 will be The openings or' pasforced forward with the projectile, thereby shearing the wire and permitting the hammer-block to assume aposition at the rear end.

' mer-block and post 5 and firing-pin will move forward and bring the point of the pin 6 into contact with the cap 8 or other detonator de- 1 bring the firing-pin into alinement with the vice. In order to avoid any dislodgment of the firing-pin from armed position during the flight of the projectile, provision should be made for locking the post within the ham-' mer-block. Ordinarily a suflicient locking would be eflected on the shearing of the wire 10, as in such shearing operation a fin of metal would be forced between the walls of the passage through the hammer-block and the post 5, wedging the latter in position; but as this means may not at all times-be effective it is preferred to provide a further lock by forcing the metal of the hammer-block surrounding the bar against the latter by the blow given to the block 'on thepreliminary movement'of the projectile. This can be eflected by inclining the rear end of the block to form a thin edge of metal, as at a, which will be forced into a slight groove 6 in the post by the impact of the hammer-block against the inclined surfaces at the bottom of the socket in the stock 3.

While it is preferred to pivotally mount the firing-pin6 on the hammer-block in the manner described, said pin may be connected to a sliding block 23, arranged in a groove 14 in the outer end of the hammer-block, as

shown in Fig. 4. Normally this pin is held out of line with the cap 8 by engaging an eccentric hole or opening in the block 9. As the stock 3 moves forward over the hammerblock during the forward movement of the projectile the pin 6 will be withdrawn from engagement with eccentric recess 16, thereby permitting the spring 15 to force the slide inwardly toward the axis of the block and cap or into armed position.

As shown in Fig; 5,*the firing-pinmay be formed stationary on the hammer-block, with its point in alinement with the passage in the block 9, through which flame can pass to the exploding charge. The cap 8 in this case is arranged in the block 16, movably mounted in a dovetailed recess or groove 17 in the in- -ner face of the block 9. While the parts are in unarmed or normal position the pin 6 pro' jects into the passage through the block 9, thereby preventing the block 16 and cap from v While I have shown in occupying armed position in line with the passage. through the plug 9.: .As the projectile moves forward over the hammer-block block 16 is forced along into alinement with the passage in block 9 by the spring 18, thereby arming the fuse.

It sometimes occurs that the bursting charge is so packed into the front endof the recess in the projectile by the impact of the latter that such a considerable space is formed between the firing-cap or other detonator that the flame therefrom will not ignite the exploding charge.

In order'to insure the ignition of this charge under all conditions,I provide a flying. igniter. A convenient construction to this end consists of. a cap 19, fitting'on the boss or projection 20 on the anvil-block 9 and containing an igniting charge, generally com' pressed black powder. tion is so formed that the cap 19 covers the This boss or projecpassage leading from the igniting-cap 8. through the anvil-block 9. As soon as the charge in the cup 19 is .ignited the gas generated will force the cap oif'its base or pro: jection and project itinto the exploding charge in the projectile, "thus carrying the burning charge in the cup 19 into the explo sive material and insuring the ignition of the latter. The flame from the burning powder inthe cup. will pass not only through the opening in the front end of the cup, but over its edge after being forced from the projection 20. I g

Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, my improved fuse applied to the base of the projectile, itmay be applied to the point of the projectile as shown in Fig. 6. In this construction a threaded opening is formed through the point of the projectile for the re.- ception of a block 26, having the stock 3 formed on its inner end, said stock corresponding in construction and cont 'ning the parts or elements heretofore describ d in connection with stock 3, except that a port is drilled through the stock forward of the detonator for the passage of the detonator-flame to the bursting change of the shell. I claim herein as my invention- -1. A fuse for projectiles having in combination a firing-pin, a detonator, said parts be. ing normally held out of alinement with each other,a longitudinally-movable hammer-block and means operative on the forward 'move-. ment of the projectile and independent of the rotation thereof, to bring the firing-pin and detonator into operative relation.

2. A'fuse for projectiles having in combination a detonator, a longitudinallymovable.

3. In combination with the stock and detonator of a fuse for pro ectiles, a hammerblock movably arranged within the stock, a

post for holding the block as against move- E ment independent of the stock, alock or connection capable of being rendered inoperative by a shock or jar for attaching the block to l the post, a firing-pin pivotally mounted on the hammer, and means for shifting the pin l into armed position on the movement of this l stock independent of the hammer-block, substantially as set forth.

4:. A fuse for projectiles having in combinai tion a detonator, a longitudinally-movable hammer-block, a firing-pin pivotally mounted on the hammer-block and normally held with its point out of line with the detonator and means operative on the forward movement of the projectile and independent of the rotation thereof for shifting the pin into alinement with the detonator, substantially as set forth.

' 5. A fuse for projectiles having in combination a detonator, a longitudinally movable hammer-block, separable means for holding the block from movement independent of the. projectile, a firing-pin normally held ,out of alinement with the detonator and means operative on the forward movement of theprojectile and independent of the rotation thereof for shifting the pin into armed position.

' 6. A fuse for projectiles having in combination a'stock provided with a socket, an anvilblock carrying a detonator device, a hammerblock movably mounted in the stock, a posthaving a separable connection with the block and adapted to hold the block as against movement independent of the socket, a firing-pin pivotally mounted in the block and means for shifting the pin into armed position on the movement of the stock independent of the hammer-block, substantially as set forth.

7. A fuse for projectiles ha ving in combination a stock having a socket, an anvil-block carrying a detonator device, a hammer-block, a post having a frangible connection with the hammerblock, a firing-pin movably connected to the hammer-block and normally held in unarmed position and means carried by the post for shifting the pin into armed position, substantially as set forth.

8. A fuse for projectiles having in combination a stock provided with a socket, an anvilblock carrying an igniting device, a hammerblock, a post having a separable connection with the hammer-block, a firing-pin pivotally mounted on the hammer-block and normally held in unarmed position, and a finger on the post for shifting the pin into armed position, substantially as set forth.

9. In a percussion-fuse for explosive projectiles, the combination of a casing, a plun: ger, a primer having a fixed position in the axis of the fuse, and primer-exploding means normally out of alinement with the axis of the fuse, said means being adapted to be alined with said axis on the longitudinal movement of the projectile and independent of the rotation thereof, substantially as set forth.

10. In a percussion-fuse, the combination of a casing, a primer having a fixed position in the axis of the fuse, and primer-exploding means normally out of alinement with the axis of the fuse, said means being adapted to be alined with said axis on the longitudinal movement of the projectile and independent of the rotation thereof, substantially as set forth.

11. Ina percussion-fuse, the combination of a casing, a primer having a fixed position in the axis of the fuse, and primer-exploding means loosely mounted in the casing and nor mally out of alinement with the axis of the fuse and adapted to be alined with said axison the longitudinal movement of the projectile and independent of the rotation thereof, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN BONNER SEMPLE. Witnesses:

DARWIN S. VVOLOOTT, F. E. GAITHER. 

